1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns optical fiber connectors that can coaxially interconnect two optical fibers or can connect an optical fiber to an opto-electronic element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some prior optical fiber connectors require mechanical elements to be secured permanently to the optical fibers, followed by attaching each such element either to a complementary element or to a fixture. Doing so can require special tools.
A relatively inexpensive mechanical optical fiber connector can be constructed as disclosed in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,180 (Blomgren). A preferred connector of the Blomgren '180 patent includes an elongated mount that is encompassed by a resiliently deformable housing which, in its relatively undeformed state, can urge an end of an optical fiber against a straight longitudinal groove in the surface of the mount. Upon squeezing to deform the housing, a free end of a second optical fiber can be inserted to become coaxially interconnected with the first as shown in FIG. 6C of the Blomgren '180 patent, or it can be removed.
In an improvement of the Blomgren '180 patent connector, the elongated mount is a mandrel of substantially uniformly elliptical cross section as disclosed in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,619 (Blomgren). An optical fiber connector now on the market ("DORRAN" #07-00060 from 3M) is constructed as taught in both Blomgren patents and also, as in the Blomgren '619 patent, has a strain-relief chock formed with a trough against which the fiber buffer layer can be gripped after being exposed by stripping.
The DORRAN optical fiber connector employs a small, pliers-like tool to squeeze the housing. Such a tool is available as part of DORRAN #05-00105 field termination kit.